The story of Marlene McKinnon.

Disclaimer: Nothing.

And eleven year olds are boring to write about so let's get them older already... As a side note once again. Tumblr: marlmckitten


(She Had) Just Enough Time

CossetteLune

Chapter 2: Family Bullies

Not very much changed between their relationships as classes started. Lily and Marlene wasted no time growing into very close friends, until they spent almost every day together. Marlene found that she quite liked Lily's friend, Severus, as well. And the three of them got along well, as long as Lily was present. When she was there, Snape was great and smiley and happy, and Marlene always enjoyed his dry sarcasm and quick wit. But with the red-head absent a darkness always took over him, which made Marlene wonder about his life outside of Hogwarts. Something told her that it wasn't very good, and she wished that she could help somehow. Meanwhile, Dorcas and Mary were fun as well and when Marlene wasn't with Severus and Lily, she was with them instead. It was easy enough to ignore Black and Potter, who had taken in the squeaky boy now as well. Marlene could hold her own against them just fine, even when Black thought he was clever enough to try insulting her in French one day.

"La fille aux cheveux laids-" He had said across the hall, with the clear intention of going on.

But with a simple smirk, Marlene cut him off, "Bonjour tête de caniche. Je parle Français aussi." And that managed to shut him up for at least a few hours. Lily appreciated it even more than Marlene did and went on for the rest of the day asking Marlene to say different things in French. Marlene never minded showing off when she was good at something so by the end of the day she had taught Lily a very random assortment of French words that she would surely never use again.

"Can you teach me at least enough to keep Potter away as well? The two of them are driving me completely mad already, why do they think they own the school anyway? Sev always told me that purebloods think they're better than me, but what ever gave them that idea? So far I've been doing really well at everything, even though I have less practise than they do!" And it was true, Lily and picked up easily on every subject, where Marlene had struggled a little more. Luckily for her, and the two other girls, Lily was more than happy to help them out. And by the end of the first week, they were all still just excited to be at school and learn more magic. If the worst they had to endure was Potter, Black and Pettigrew, they could do it.

The second week went the same, and so did the third and forth, and soon weeks turned into months and most of the first years were much more settled. Almost everyone found some friends to make do with, mostly within their own houses, Severus and Lily being the main exception. The more timid boy who Marlene had remembered to be named Lupin slowly became friends with both Lily and with Pettigrew. Overall he got along with everyone, although didn't seem to talk a lot with any specific person, he kept his life to himself, despite many attempts at getting him to open up a little more. Even Marlene's charismatic personality had tried, but it didn't go anywhere and so she gave up very shortly afterward. If he wanted his space, she would give it to him, she was never much of one for being too pushy.

Potions became Severus' best class, but he always was most interested in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Whereas Lily excelled in almost all her classes, but particularly Charms. Marlene did okay in her classes, preferring Charms as well, and not loving Flying as much as she hoped she had. She had a feeling it was something to do with how Potter so easily glided around from their very first lesson. He did almost as well as Lily in most subjects, with Sirius right behind them, both boys put in minimal effort. It was infuriating to Marlene and whenever she got a particularly good grade Black would turn with a grin and make sure she noticed how much better he did than her. "It's not fair, he's had more practice," Marlene whined one afternoon as they were leaving History of Magic. "He slept through the class and did better on the pop quiz at the end than I did, how did he do that?"

But it was Severus who cut in this time, "He has probably been forced to remember trivial information for most of his life. A lot of pureblood families do those types of things. It wouldn't surprise me if they also taught him some instruments and a lot of etiquette."

"How do you know all this and I don't?" Marlene pouted, "We're both half-blood right?"

Severus nodded, "My mother told me, it was how she grew up."

It was the first time Marlene had heard any mention of his family, but when she asked further questions, he sprinted away, claiming to be late to get to the library. "He's a mysterious one, isn't he?" She asked Lily. "Maybe not to you but…. He's a little weird."

Lily laughed and agreed, there was no sense denying something that everyone else was already picking up on to be true. Lily seemed lost in thought when she finally said, "If that's true though, and they were raised that strict, I feel bad for them, don't you?"

"Potter and Black?" Marlene wrinkled up her nose immediately, "What is there to feel bad about? They've been horrible before even bothering to get to know any of us. They're nice to each other, because they have the same amount of arrogance. And tolerate Pettigrew because he does things for them, runs their errands and strokes their egos."

"I guess," Lily said, but just then they heard a commotion up ahead and Potter was practising new spell they learned on Severus. Black was sneering and cheering him on. Lily's face dropped, "I take it back."

It was Marlene who spoke up first, "You guys really have nothing better to do than pick on boys who are smaller than you?"

Sirius laughed, "Hey there, Split-Ends, care to join?"

But Marlene saw Professor McGonagall approaching from behind, so she smirked, "Join you doing what exactly, Black?"

"Reminding Snivillus here how gross he is-"

"POTTER! BLACK! WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?!" The strict voice came from behind them and Marlene grinned. If he hadn't have spoken up, McGonagall only would have blamed Potter, so Marlene took it as her work being completed. Severus ran off and Lily chased after him. The boys lost Gryffindor some points and were both given detention. Marlene returned to her common room in a much more cheerful mood than before.

"What are you so smug about?" Mary asked her friend. She was sitting by the fireplace, homework spread out around her feet.

"I got Black into detention," she replied happily, plopping down on the couch next to Dorcas, "What are you reading?"

"Book," Dorcas replied simply, clearly too absorbed in its contents to be bothered.

Mary laughed, "She's already caught up on her homework, now she's just showing off."

"We had homework?" Marlene replied in surprise.

Dorcas rolled her eyes and took her book upstairs, while Mary and Marlene stayed up late finishing their work. They were still up when Lily returned, looking still upset about the earlier events. "I hate them!" She said loudly, frustration brewing in her voice. But she didn't say anything else, only stormed up to their dorms. Marlene felt bad for her friend, she knew that Black and Potter were getting under her skin, mostly because of their unfair hatred for Severus. It couldn't be easy seeing your best friend from childhood constant being picked on.

It wasn't until after Winter Holiday's that Marlene finally put together who the blond girl over at the Slytherin table was. Frequently she would be shooting glares over at the Gryffindor's, when she wasn't distracted with her own friends. But one afternoon she saw her standing in the hallway with a darker haired girl and Black. She paused unsure of what she was walking into until she heard the blonde say, "How can you say it is not a big deal, at least Potter is pureblood but that Pettigrew boy… Its a death wish, Sirius, don't be so stupid!"

The oldest of the three spoke next, "Leave him alone, its not his fault which house he was sorted into. And it doesn't even affect you, Cissy!"

"It affects us all, Andromeda. You think I do not notice you spending time with those Hufflepuff's? You are both working against the family name, and our parents are going to be unstoppably angry when they find out!"

The one called Andromeda narrowed her eyes, "Don't you date tell mother and father about me talking to people you know nothing about. Unless you want me to tell them how undignified you are when you're drooling all over Malfoy."

"I do no such thing!" The blonde shrieked in reply.

But Black cut in between them, "What was the point of this 'meeting' again? For you two to yell at each other, or yell at me, because if I don't have to be here, I have other things to attend to."

"Like getting yourself chopped from our family tree?" The blonde witch scowled.

But Andromeda sighed, "Narcissa is right, Sirius, be careful. We both know how much rage your mother holds, don't give her reason to lash out."

"That hardly seems fair, I have to act correctly just because mother dearest has some anger issues?"

"It is because you are a Black," Narcissa replied, Marlene noticed her posture to be very straight and she held her head high. "Both of you. We must act a certain way, and you in particular, Sirius, are boasting about your name, than you had better act like it as well."

"What makes you think I've been boasting about my name?" Sirius replied, slouched against the wall. A habit that Marlene had noticed he had picked up from James.

"You are not exactly quiet when you speak, cousin," She went on, still keeping her composure even in her anger. "But if you keep up these habits the yelling you received over break is only going to get worse." With that the blonde witch apparently decided she was done with their conversation. "Just do not forget who you are. You're too good for that Pettigrew boy, and for the rest of your house. For Potter as well, he is going to get you into trouble! Her eyes glared at Andromeda before she left down the corridor, her shoulder brushing against Marlene on her way out.

"McKinney, eavesdropping now? Is your life really that dull?" Sirius said angrily, before also sulking away.

It was only the oldest left, looking at Marlene. Her eyes were kinder than the other two, she looked as if she wanted to say something, but then sighed and walked away slowly. Marlene was standing on her own in the hallway, and after seeing a glimpse of his family she understood why he was so pompous. But with a shake of her head she thought of all the times he was caught bullying Severus. It was no excuse, and his cousins only seemed to be worried about him. If anything he should count himself lucky to have family his age, all Marlene had were brothers who wee already grown and gone.


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CL